“James Webb” captures a ring with cosmic-scale gemstones

The James Webb Space Telescope of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) turned its gaze to a distant astronomical object that visually resembles a ring with precious stones. In fact, this is the quasar RX J1131-1231 at a distance of 6 billion light years from Earth in the constellation Chalice.

Image source: ESA

Such an unusual appearance of the quasar is due to the fact that its image has reached us in a distorted form due to the effect of gravitational lensing. The fact is that the galaxy located between Earth and RX J1131-1231 distorts the image of the quasar in the background, which is why a bright arc and four formations appear in the image. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the image presented is one of the best “lensed” quasars that have been captured to date.

As for gravitational lensing, Albert Einstein was the first to predict this effect. Without going into detail, the principle of lensing can be compared to how a magnifying glass works. Massive objects in space bend space and time under the influence of gravity, which creates a magnifying effect that allows astronomers to peer deep into outer space. At the same time, when a distant light source is observed through another space object, such as a galaxy, the shape of the distant light source is distorted.

«All matter in the Universe bends the space around it, with more massive objects causing a stronger effect. Around very massive objects, such as galaxies, light passing near them follows this curved space, deviating from its original direction by a noticeable amount. One effect of gravitational lensing is that it can magnify distant astronomical objects, allowing astronomers to study them. Without lensing, such objects would be too dim or distant,” ESA said.

admin

Share
Published by
admin

Recent Posts

Bitcoin jumped over $88,000 – in a week it added $20 thousand in price

After Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, the Bitcoin rate has been steadily…

1 hour ago

Blizzard will revive the classic Overwatch, but only for a while and inside Overwatch 2 – a limited-time mode Overwatch: Classic has been announced

Following Friday's teaser, publisher and developer Blizzard Entertainment has introduced a limited-time mode for its…

3 hours ago

General Galactic will use on Earth technology created to extract methane on Mars

Technologies developed for use in space and on other planets may well find application on…

3 hours ago

The developers of Black Mesa have announced a cooperative shooter about corporate warfare – trailer and details of Rogue Point

Following the February teaser, the American studio Crowbar Collective (Black Mesa), with the support of…

3 hours ago